Foods shouldn't be considered good' or bad,' experts say

Think that piece of chocolate cake is “bad,” but the spinach is “good?” The bacon is “naughty” but the tomato “just dandy?”

You may be surprised to learn the idea of good and bad foods has no place in your overall approach to a healthy diet. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, that idea is overly simplistic and may actually foster unhealthy eating behaviors. According to a recent study, 82 percent of adults questioned said they wouldn’t give up favorite foods to eat healthier.

In its newly updated position paper, “Total Diet Approach to Healthy Eating,” the emphasis is more on moderation, appropriate portion size and physical activity than individual foods, with individual preferences, genetic and cultural backgrounds most critical to successful dietary improvements.

“In reality, if the diet doesn’t fit with your lifestyle and unique needs, it won’t work in the long-term and can even leave you missing out on the nutrition you need to get you through the day,” says Jim White, registered dietitian and Academy spokesman.

Advertisement

Many factors, such as family and career, have to be incorporated into healthy eating, says Brian Miller, a registered dietitian in Fort Collins, Colo. “There’s no blanket approach that works for everyone. Some people don’t cook, for instance, so their needs are different from someone who is at home in the kitchen. For others, ethnicity and culture are important. But, it’s hard to give up the foods we grew up with, even though they may not be the healthiest.

“You want to take a total approach to eating healthy,” he says. “There has to be flexibility and accommodations for lifestyle and any chronic conditions you have, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and others.”

He agrees there are no good and bad foods. “You have to learn how to work what you enjoy into your diet,” he says. “For instance, I grew up on pizza and I still incorporate it into my life. My wife and I have a 4-year-old boy and pizza is our Friday night special. We order it in, make it ourselves or go out for it, but we have it.”

Too many people approaching a change in their diet set up extreme expectations for themselves, Miller says.

“You can’t live in a box -- there are relationships and events you’re a part of where food is important. When I sit down with a client, we discuss realistic goals,” he says. “You can’t say that on Monday morning you’re going to cut out certain foods, change everything you do and lose ‘x’ amount of weight by a certain date. That just sets you up for failure.

“The first few months are always the toughest, so I encourage people to take baby steps and meet one goal at a time.”

Those goals shouldn’t be obstacles that cause you to give up. “It’s not realistic to think you can lose 20 pounds in one month. We recommend losing 1-2 pounds per week,” he says. “Losing too fast doesn’t allow your body time to adjust. Instead, you go into starving mode and your body craves more calories to survive.”

Miller says it’s unfortunate that learning about good nutrition isn’t part of our life early on. “We learn to read and write and do math, but one of the most important parts of our everyday life -- eating -- is something that doesn’t seem to matter,” he says. “We’re still learning about the interaction of food and health. If we could figure out that balance early in life, we’d save ourselves a lot of worry and regret.”

Family time at meals is an important part of healthy eating, Miller believes. “I grew up in a family that had meals together and now my wife and I share that experience with our son,” he says. “We cook together -- it’s a big part of our lives. It doesn’t have to be a five-course meal; it’s easy to throw some good ingredients into the crock pot. It’s the eating together that counts.”

Lastly, Miller says it’s important to partner with someone you can trust as you work toward a healthier lifestyle. “You want someone who supports you and listens to you without judgment,” he says. “You don’t want the food police pointing fingers.”

Athletes: Eat a light breakfast or snack before exercising, such as low-fat yogurt, graham crackers with peanut butter, a banana or cereal with low-fat milk.

Students: Combines protein and carbohydrates such as apples with peanut butter, carrots with hummus, hardboiled eggs and fruit, banana and yogurt, almonds with low-fat cheese. At the cafeteria, choose salads, but go easy on cheese, bacon, creamy dressings and high-calorie add-ons.

Families: Get the kids involved with a simple collection of quick and easy family favorites, featuring ingredients to be used for more than one meal -- cook extra grilled chicken for chicken salad or fajitas.

Sources: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at eatright.org and healthypeople.gov/2020/about/default.aspx, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate and 2010 Dietary Guidelines at cnpp.usda.gov/dgas2010-policydocument.htm.